The present invention relates generally to earth excavating equipment, and more particularly relates to apparatus for captively retaining a replaceable excavating tooth point on the nose portion of an adapter which, in turn, is secured to the forward lip of an excavating bucket or the like.
Socketed tooth points used in excavation operations are typically relaceably mounted on adapter nose portions of, for example, excavation buckets by inserting the nose portions into the tooth sockets and retaining each tooth on its associated adapter nose portion using a removable connector structure driven into generally aligned openings formed in the tooth and nose portion.
These connector structures typically come in two forms--(1) wedge and spool connectors and (2) flex pin connectors. A wedge and spool connector comprises a tapered spool portion which is initially placed in the aligned tooth and adapter nose openings, and a tapered wedge portion which is subsequently driven into the openings, against the spool portion, to jam the structure in place within the openings in a manner exerting high rigid retention forces on the interior opening surfaces and press the nose portion into a tight fitting engagement with the tooth socket.
Very high drive-in and knock-out forces are required to insert and later remove the steel wedge and typically require a two man effort to pound the wedge in and out--one man holding a removal tool against an end of the wedge, and the other man pounding on the removal tool with a sledge hammer. This creates a safety hazard due to the possibility of flying metal slivers and/or the second man hitting the first man instead of the removal tool with the sledge hammer. Additionally, wear between the tooth/adapter nose surface interface during excavation use of the tooth tends to loosen the tight fit of the wedge/spool structure within the tooth and adapter nose openings, thereby permitting the wedge/spool structure to fall out of the openings and thus permitting the tooth to fall off the adapter nose.
Flex pin structures typically comprise two elongated metal members held in a spaced apart, side-by-side orientation by an elastomeric material bonded therebetween. The flex pin structure is longitudinally driven into the tooth and adapter nose openings to cause the elastomeric material to be compressed and resiliently force the metal members against the nose and tooth opening surfaces to retain the connector structure in place within the openings and resiliently press the adapter nose portion into tight fitting engagement with the interior surface of the tooth socket.
Flex pins also have their disadvantages. For example, compared to wedge/spool structures they have a substantially lower in-place retention force. Additionally, reverse loading on the tooth creates a gap in the tooth and adapter nose openings through which dirt can enter the tooth pocket and undesirably accelerate wear at the tooth/adapter nose surface interface which correspondingly loosens the connector retention force.
It can be seen from the foregoing that it would be desirable to provide improved excavating tooth connector apparatus that eliminates or at least substantially reduces the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages associated with conventional excavating tooth connector apparatus. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved connector apparatus.